Route-indicator for automobiles.



C. M. STODDARD.

ROUTE INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Patented Oct. 3,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. I914.

I INVENTOR (In oi/r/ f 52'000/760,

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS (:(M. STODDARD. ROUTE INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. I914.

Patented 0003, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. A

50 LENOX Ham 0 Cmr. 49m 2 0 J .49 F Mmrlst I ail-J IIIII/IIII INVENTOR Jinan/ 2 Freon/mg ,ar

ATTDRNEYS GELOBA MARTIN STODDARD, OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

ROUTE-INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CELoRA M. STODDARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa and State of Arizona, have invented an Improvement in Route-Indicators for Automobiles, of which the following'is a specification.

My present invention relates to means whereby the driver of an automobile may. have the benefit of a complete log of a par- 2 ticular route, the readings vof which will be changed as the route is traversed to show the road and certain directions in connection therewith for some distance in advance, say a distance of approximately 50 yards.

The object of my invention is to provide such a device in the nature of a movable indicator, the movement of which may be derived from the usual odometer to constantly change its position as the route is traversed and uniformly position the readings PIOP'. erly in the sight of the driver. 7

In view of these facts I have termed the present invention a route indicator, taking into consideration its structure and its several functions, both of which will be clearly apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the practical application of my invention, those portions of the motor vehicle to which my invention is adjusted, being illustrated indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a face View of my invention. F 1g. 3 1s a side elevational View of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudi-- nal section. Fig. 5 is a front elevation,

partly broken away and insection with the cover open. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the take up roller, and Fig. 7 is a plan of the indicating -web.

Referring now to these figures it will be seen that the several parts constituting my invention are housed within a substantially rectangular box A which may be suitably supported upon a portion of a motor vehicle and the like, preferably upon the dash thereof as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a bracket B secured to the rear of the box A and adapted to be fastenedto the dash or other parts bymeans of screws and like fastenings.

At the front of the box is a cover C which is hinged thereto at its lower edge as indi Specification of Letters Patent.

1 tended through Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial-No, 818,937.

cated at c and which is provided with a transparent section C through which the interior of the box may be viewed, a spring or other catch 0 secured to the upper end of the box being utilizedt'o engage the upper end of this cover in order to normally maintain the same in closed position. J

Referring now particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that the box A is provided with a pair of guide rods (1 and 0 located transversely thereacross and respectively adjacent the upper and lower edges of the transparent cover section (3 when the cover is closed, the functlons of these gulde rods being to receive the web, to be herein-- at its opposite side wit a bearing a transversely alined with the said opening, said bearing receiving the reduced inner end a? of a Web holding rollerD 'adapted to be exthe opening just mentioned.

As will be seen particularly in Fig. 5, that portion of the shaft of roller D which, in.

the operative position of the roller, extends within the box A, is squared, to receive a similarly shaped spoole at the inner end of the web E, the shaft of roller D also having amilled knob D at its outer end and a circumferential recess adjacent to said outer end with which a pivoted latch member (Z mounted upon the adjacent outer surface of the box A, is adapted to engage in order to normally hold the roller against longitu'dinal displacement. It will also be seen that box, A is provided in the rear of the rods-a, with an aperture at one side and having its shank, which is provided with an intermediate hook f, thus extended through both of the box sides and provided at one end with an enlarged head F provided with a squared socket f 1d movable, by longitudinal movement of the said roller, within and out of the box sides socket a to respecw tively disengage from and engage with the squared end 9 of the projecting shaft of the odometer G along side of which my mvention is intended to be located as particularly shown in- Fig. 1. At its opposite end the take uproller is provided with a projecting handle f and adjacent to this handle is a the vertical line.

circumferential groove f with which a latch piece f, similar to, the latch pieced is adapted to engage to normally prevent the roller from lonitudinal displacement.

The web E w "ch is-normally wound upon its squared spool e, is disposed within the box and the roller Dis initially passed through the spool e and moved into opera-- tive position as shown, the outer end of the web being passed outwardly and overv the guide rods a and a and having an intermediate eye'e by which it may be engaged with the hook I of the take up roller F on to which it is to be rolled when the latter is in engagement with the rod 9 of odometer G when the vehicle is in movement. v

The web E is provided along one longitudinal edge with a series of numerals indicating the miles traversed along the particular route and has a reversed series of numerals along its opposite edge indicating the number of miles to be traversed to reach the end of the route, these series of numerals being respectively indicated at e and e in Fig. 7. The webis also to be provided with readings of various land marks, buildings and like points to which the attention of the driver can be intelligently drawn and also with a series of characters which are indicated at c in Fig. 7 in the nature of directions of 'whichthe driver shouldtake particular notice, 0 indicating street car crossings, :v indicating danger, two parallel vertical lines with a crossing transverse line indicating railroad crossings, an inclined and curved line indicating either an up or down grade'depending upon the "direction of its inclination, and'a vertical line.

with a horizontal line added at one end .thereof indicating a turn either to the right or the left depending upon the direction in which the horizontal line isextended from These various direction marks are shown on the web in Fig. 7 although it is to be understood that in practice a. great many other such marks will be in order that the readings maynecessary I properly conform to the route.

It is also to be understood that the several readings will be required in practice to be properly spaced to conformto the landmarks on the route andalso to the working of the parts ofthe route indicator but inasmuch as this spaciilg will depend to a great extent upon the particular route, I have not attempted to show any particular spacing at present in the drawings;

When the end of the route has been reached or the vehicle turned on to a new route and it is desired to-substitute a different web, the latch piece f of the take up roller F is lifted and this roller moved slightly to the right 'in a longitudinal direction according to Fig. 5 in order to disof the box A preparatory to the insertion of another web.

The box A may be provided with an indicating pointer A extending inwardly from one sidethereof and forwardly of a plane connecting the guide rods m and a.-

in order that the web may be properly posi-v tioned in the first instance before the cover G is closed, this cover also having an indicating V pointer C which registers with pointer A when the cover is closed.

Thus by the use of" my invention the readings for a particular route are at all times within convenient sight of the driver of a vehicle without necessitating adjustment after starting and do away with the necessity for frequent reference to road" 'maps and the perusal of the present style log books which require the withdrawal of at least one hand from the control of the vehicle. I

It is to be understood of course that it is not essential that my invention be used in connection with an odometer as I have shown, inasmuch as the usual flexible shaft G of such devices may be applied directly to the take up roller F provided it is geared in any well known manner so that the parts are turned in the proper relation to the speed of the vehicle.

I also propose to provide the web with log readin s upon its reverse surface and thus provi e for guidance along a certain route both coming and going, it being apparent from the description of the structure of the parts before'described that the web may be readily reversed on its shaft and may be passed from the guide rods in the manner indicated in dotted lines at E in' Fig. 4.

I claim: 1. Ina route .indicatorof the character described, the combination of a casing havmg a transparent section, a web movable within the casing, a pair of reels mounted through the casing and upon which the web is carried, each of said reels being longitudinally movable with respect to the casing and having an annular groove adjacent one side of the casing, means carried by the c'as ing and normally engaging said groove to prevent displacement of the reels, one of said reels having a handle at one side of the casing, and a squared end socket at the opposite side of the casing, all for the purpose described. fl

2. In a route indicator, the combination of a web having route log readings, a holding roller with which said web is detach- 13o ably connected, a take up roller with which I the web'is detachably engaged, means for driving the said take up roller in relation to the speed of the vehicle on which the route indicator is used, and a box through which said rollers are journaled for longitudinal movement, the holding roller being wholly removable from the box and the take up roller having a limited longitudinal movement with respect to the box whereby to en- 10 gage with and disengage from the said driving means, each of said rollers having an annular groove, and latches carried by the box for engagement in the said groove.

CELORA MARTIN STODDARD. Witnesses:

ISAAC STODDARD, ADA V. STODDARD. 

